Spool stripper



June 16, 1953 R. L. SJOSTROM 2,641,821

SPOOL STRIPPER Filed July 12, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. 3 R0152)? L. SjdS/rh;

June 16, 1953 R. 1.. SJOSTROM SPOOL STRIPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1949 FIE-.E

INVENTOR. Faber/- Z yaw/-02 June 16, 1953 R. L. SJOSTROM 2,641,821

SPOOL STRIPPER Filed July 12, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

FIEzIE H.

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Robert A 516.9 mm

IN VEN TOR.

R. L. SJOSTROM SPOOL STRIPPER June 16, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 12, 1949 FIE. I3

INVENTOR. Roberf Lglsfrb'm Patented June 16, 1953 SPOOL STRIPPER Robert L. Sjostrom, Andover, Mass.

Application July 12, 1949, Serial N 0. 104,193

Claims.

Th present invention relates to a spool stripper principally for stripping threads from bobbins or spools which have been used but where some turns of thread still remain on the spindle. Spindles or bobbins frequently have entangled threads and so are useless for further spinning. Under such conditions the spindles or spools are usually stripped of the threads and then rewound for further use. I

It is highly essential in stripping such spools and spindles to avoid cutting, marring, or scratching the spindles as such roughness of the spindle will cause the threads to catch in the rough spots and break. Spindles are usually made of polished wood and if handled with due care can be used over and over again for a long time.

The present invention provides a means of stripping threads from such bobbins, spindles, or spools without injury to the wood surface and without scratching or cutting the surface in any way which will make the thread catch and break. Bobbins or spools of the kind to which the present invention relates usually have a flange at one end perpendicular to a shaft with a curved shoulder of a comparatively small radius of curvature. The thread is wound against the flange which makes it difficult to remove or strip the threads cleanly from the spools without cutting the latter. This is particularly true since it is necessary as a practical matter to begin the stripping of the spo ols or spindles from one end working towards the other end. Unless it is possible for the stripping member to come in contact with the wood of the spools at the beginning of the stripping motion, the stripping member will usually ride over some of the layers of thread and therefore not completely strip the thread from the spool. Another difficulty encountered in stripping the spools is that the threads on the spool may be quite fine and when wound tightly on the spool hug the spool very closely. Since it is necessary to keep sharp edges or knives which may be used in stripping from a position in which they may cut the spool, great difficulty has been found in severing the threads which lie next to the spool particularly in the corner or shoulder beside the flange at the end of the spool. This has been overcome by the present invention in that the threads are pulled away from the spool which action may break the threads, but if this is not accomplished, the threads will be cut by the knife which does not come in contact with the surface of the spoolbut is spaced a short distance off from the spool. .Inaccordance with the present invention; a stationary or rotating claw element is used to 2 catch the threads on the spool and hold them to a position to be cut by the cutting knife. The claw element or elements in the present invention may be stationary or rotary as just stated and they may also have a relatively linear motion with respect to the spool which is to be stripped.

I One or more claw elements may be used in the structure. Where more than one claw element is used, it is preferable to place one on each side of the cutting blade and shape them with a contour to fit or approximately fit the contour of the spool. Where a single stationary or rotating claw element or disk is used, this element should come in tangential contact with the surface of the spool, particularly the curved surface of the spool but extend away from the spool so as to raise the thread slightly to the blade which should also be raised from the surface of the spool but in such a position that the threads on the spool will be carried towards the cutting blade. Such action may be assured by mounting the claw element and cutting blade on the same supporting structure positioned at all times in the same relative position with respect to each other- Contact is preferably maintained by the claw element and the spool by constant spring pressure exerted on the carrier of the claw element so that where diameters of the spools will vary, the operator will be assured that close contact is always maintained by the claw element against the spool, and that the cutting blade or disk is always in the same relative position with the claw to cut the threads on the spool.

It will be evident that the present invention may be carried out in a number of different constructions, all of which operate on the same general principles for the purpose of stripping threads from spools, bobbins, or spindles, and the invention, therefore, will be described in the specification below in connection with embodiments, and modifications thereof as illustrated by the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an elevation of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a section taken generally on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a section taken generally on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged detail of a portion of Figure 2.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged detail of a portlon of Figure 1, with the ram rod in a different position than that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 shows a detail section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 shows a detail section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 shows a modified detail of a portion of the elements shown in Figure 4.

Figure 9 shows a still further modified detail in a different position of the elements shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 shows an enlarged detail of an element shown in Figure 5,

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the modification shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12 is a modification of a detail of the arrangement shown in Figure 5.

Figure 13 shows a modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, and Figure 14 shows a sectional view taken on the line |4l4 of Fi ure 13.

In the arrangement indicated in Figures 1 through 7, the apparatus has two disks and 2 which might also be frames or spiders mounted on a central supporting shaft 3 journalled for rotation in a bearing 4. The bearing 4 is suitably supported by a base 5 which also supports by two upright brackets a hopper or chute 5 in which the spools or spindles are initially placed preparatory to be fed to recesses aligned parallel with the shaft in the disks l and 2. These recesses or notches 7 are shown spaced about the periphery of each of the disks I and 2. As the disks I and 2 are turned with the shaft 3, a spool will roll into a pair of aligned notches ready to be carried around in the direction of the arrow A, Figure 2, for stripping purposes. The disks l and 2 are turned a step at a time by means of the rotating disk 8 supported for rotation on a shaft 9, one end of which may be fixed in the support 5 and the other driven by the motor Ill. The disk 8 has a projecting pin l I which engages one of the notches i during part of its revolution and moves thereby the disk 2 one notch at a time for each revolution. After the pin disengages from a notch l, the disks l and 2 remain stationary until they are again moved by engagement of the pin H in one of the notches. The direction of rotation of the disk 8 is indicated by the arrow B, Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 2, there are eight notches in each of the disks and therefore the disk 8 will advance the disk 2 one-eighth of a revolution during each single rotation of the disk 8. Mounted on the drive shaft 9 is a gear 12 which engages a second gear l3 which drives with a bevel gear 54 engaging a second bevel gear IS. The ratio of each of these gears is 1:1 so that the gear I5 is driven at the same R. P. M. as the shaft 9 and the disk 8. The gear H: is mounted for rotation in a bearing sup-port l6 by means of a shaft ll which carries freely pivoted thereon an arm 18 at the enlarged end IQ of which there is an elongated slot 20 aligned with the arm l8. The arm I8 is tensioned by a spring 2| to a post 22 so that the arm will normally be held in a backwardly inclined position as shown in Figure 1. Engaging the slot 20 of the arm [8 is a pin 23 which projects from a rod 24 mounted for longitudinal motion in a bearing 25 at one end in the support 22 and in a bearing 26 at the other end. The rod 24 is the ram or ram rod in the present structure and carries at the end a raised segment 2'1, the purpose of which will appear later. The rod 24 is positioned and movesperpendicular to the disks I and 2 with such a stroke thatit will reciprocate back and forth-through the notches 1 aligned with each other and when the spool isl-ying in a pair of notches, it will drive the spool out on the left side, namely on the side of the disk I as viewed in Figure l.

The arm l8, which furnishes the drive for the rod 24, is moved by the gear l5 which carries a lever pivoted finger 28 which during each rotation of the disk comes up against the side of the arm and moves it against the action of the spring 2|. This finger will turn the arm l8 and move the pin and rod 24 in the direction of the arrow C, as shown in Figure 1. The finger 28 is at the end of a lever 29 of the bell crank type which is pivoted by brackets 33 and 34 mounted on gear [5 so that when the long end of the lever 29 is moved away from the gear IS, the finger 28 will ride beneath the arm l8. This occurs when the lever 2% is moved into engagement with the inclined end 30 of the fixed arm 30' mounted on the upright support 3|. The lever 29 will be raised against the action of the spring 32 and the arm l8 will be drawn backward by the tension spring 2|. At the position where the finger 2B releases the arm [8, the spool will already have been pushed out of the notches 1 and have dropped from the retaining disks 1 and 2.

After the arm l8 has been released and the lever 29 has passed over the fixed projection 30, the finger 28 will again resume its normal position so that it will engage the arm l8 in its next revolution. The gear I5 moves in the direction of the arrow D, shown in Figure 1. Since the gear I5 and the disk 8 are synchronized to make the same number of revolutions in exactly the same relationship, it is evident that the gear i5 may be so positioned that the operation of the ram in the direction of the arrow C and pack in the opposite direction can be made just after the disks l and 2 have come to rest and before they are again rotated the next step. It is also evident that since the disk 8 advances the disks and 2 one rotation in each revolution, the operation of the ram rod 24 will be repeated in the same phase for each revolution to operate the spool deposited in the notches.

As the ram 24 engages one of the recesses l in the disk 2, it starts to act upon a spool which has lodged in a pair of aligned recesses across the disks l and 2 and begins to push the spool outward through the disk I. Mounted over the disk I, which of course may be frames serving to receive and hold the spools in proper alignment, is the stripping mechanism generally designated as 40 which is shown more in detail in Figures 4 and 5.

The stripping mechanism comprises a frame or bracket 4| which works in a sleeve 42 which is supported on a right angle bracket 43 whose upright support 44 may rest on the platform for the whole machine. The frame or bracket 4| is forced downward by the arm 45 of a lever pivoted at 46 to the bracket 43 and tensioned by a spring 4! bearing on a projecting finger 48 projecting from the side of the bracket 4|. The bracket 4| at its lower end supports a shaft 49'which is journalled in the bracket and which is rotated by means of the belt 56 and pulley 5| which on one side of the bracket 4| turns a gear 52 meshing with a second gear 53 journalled to the bracket and which drives a small wheel 54 which has tearing fingers 55 as shown more clearly in Figure 5. The tearing wheel 54 is parallel to the cutting wheel and close to it. The belt 50 is just a little backward with reference to the direction of active motion of the stripper" and-higher than thetearing disk 54. The tearing disk 54 is also much smaller than the cutting disk 58 and positioned to engage'the curvature at the end of the spool which usually has a curve somewhat as shown for the spool 59 at 60 (Figure 5) or even sharper. The little wheel 54 whichgets into the corner initially in the operation either tears the residue threads on the spools by its fast rotation or carries them rearward and upward where they are severed by the cutting disk 58. The cutting disk, however, remains out of contact with the spool 59 and therefore will not cut the spool in stripping the threads. I

I The bracket 4| is normally retained in an upward position wherein the arm or pawl 9| engages the recess 62 in the side of the arm 4|. This is held in engagement by means of the spring 63 which acts on the other side of the pivot 64 of the lever 65, the end of which carries the pawl or finger 6|. The lever 65 has a downwardly projecting arm 66 which engages a cam 61 which is synchronized and rotated by the shaft 3 together with the disk I. Whenone of the ridges 68 of the cam 66 rides under the endof the arm 66, the arm becomes raised and forces the pawl 6| out of the recess 62 whereupon the bracket 4| is permitted to descend against the spool 59. The release of the pawl 6| is so synchronized that the arm 4| comes in contact with the end of the spool 59 and settles into the arched section '60 which may of course be covered with threads just as the spool in its step-by-step motion is brought to rest beneath the stripping mechanism. The motor 56 may be running continuously or may be connected so as to start when the arm 4| descends. In any event, the wheel 54 with its claws or gripping fingers 55 will catch int the threads and draw them upwards in a clockwise rotation against the cutting disk 58. The wheel 54 normally presents a fairly smooth surface to the arched section of the spool and except for the threads would glide over it more like a polishing wheel than a grasping wheel, but due to the fact that the threads are of thin diameter,

that is the ordinary cotton wool or worsted thread, it will be caught by the fingers 55 and either broken by them or cut by the disk 58.

The disks and 2 will remain at rest just long enough to complete the stripping operation.

During the period in which the spools are at rest, the ram 24 drives the spool completely out of the sockets or recesses. When the ram comes towards the stripping mechanism, the projection 21 at the top end ofit comes in contact with the base 69 of the arm 4| and thereby forces the.

arm 4| upward until the pawl 6| latches in the recess 62. The ram 24 mayhave at its ends a projecting pin 10 or in place of this a collar or some other equivalent means, not shown, for supporting the end of the spool 59 after ithas left the recess in the disk 2. The ram 24 will be rapidly withdrawn from engagement with the disks 2 and by the action spring 2|, as has been previously explained, subsequent to the release of the arm l8. The disks 2 and I will then be ready through the timing as explained to be rotated to their next position for the treatment of the next spool in the next'set of recesses I in the disks and 2.

Figures 4 and 5 show one stripping means Which maybe usefully employed. Other stripping means are shown in other figures.

In Figure 8 the same mechanism is' used as shown in Figures 4 and 5 as far as the stem 4| or bracket support is concerned. The end of this: support 4| however has two forked branches II; and 12. At the outside of the right-hand member H is va driving pulley 13 which drives the shaft 14 journalled in the two forked branches. Centrally between the forked branches is the cutting wheel 15 and on either side of the cut--, ting wheel are two threaded pick-up and tearing wheels 16. Each of these is journalled in the fork TI and 12 respectively and are driven from the shaft 14 by a pair of step-up gears 1'! and 18. The thread pick-up wheels 16 project beyond the cutting wheel 15 so that the cutting wheel never touches the spool itself. The wheel 16 may be placed as indicated in Figure 5 in such a. way that theywill engage the curvature of the spools before the cutting wheel has reached that position. The wheels in this case also maintain the cutting wheel away from the spool in the corners.

In the arrangement indicated in Figure 9, the supporting bracket 4| has a right triangular-shaped end 19 irrwhich the cutting wheel} 86 and the gear 8| are journalled on the shaft 82. The gear 8| meshes with a second gear 83 journalled at the lower vertex of the triangle by means of the-shaft 94 and drives the thread pick up wheel 85 which picks up the threads for.

carrying them adjacent the cutting blade 80.

In Figure 10', the thread pick-up'wheel85 is shown in greater detail. This really corresponds to the same structure of Figure 5. Each of the claws 85 has its outer edge tangential with the circumscribed circle in which the outer edges of the claws all coincide. The openings between successive claws as for instance the opening 81- are however suficiently large so that the tend ency is for the wheel to force itself to the actual wood of the spool and thereby will pick upthe threads in these openings 8'? and carry them up on the inside of the curve 88 of the wheel as the wheel is moving.

In the arrangement indicated in Figures '11 and 12, the stem 4! is provided at its end with a fork having two branches Hi6 and I01 in which the shaft I08 is journalled, This shaft is driven by the belt ||l9, corresponding to the belt 50, driving the pulley llil, corresponding to th'e pulley 5|.

The shaft I98 pivots the two claw arms I and H2, each of which is tensioned by means of the springs H3 and H4 respectively to the fork branches I96 and H11.

||6 projecting inwardly from the fork branches I06 and I9! engage the arms H2 and M3 to limit their motion so that while the spool will stretch and tension the springs H3 and I I4, their motion in the opposite direction will be limited by the projecting pins. As indicated in Figure 12, the claw arms I I and I2 are curved on their bottom ends Ill and M8 to match the curvature of the spool. Between the claw arms is positioned the cutting ,wheel 9 which cuts .the threads drawn up towards it by the claw arms.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 13, a somewhat different method of stripping the threads is shown. Here, as in the previous modification, the spools are deposited on the inclined tray and are picked up by a pair of wheels 96 with notches 91 similarly as in the arrangement of the previous figures. Instead, however, of driving the spool out through the end of the notch, the spool is stripped while held between the disks 96. This is accomplished by a series of stripping blades 18 mounted on a shaft 99 rotated by the motor IIJD. The blades 98 are inclined Projecting pins H5 and blades from the normal. By using a plurality of blades shaping them in oval form and mounting them in parallel relationship a distance less than the angle of travel of the periphery of the blades along the spool when in position to be stripped, the whole length of the spool from one end to the other may be stripped very rapidly. These stripping blades are positioned so that they do not quite contact the wood surface of the spool itself and the fact that they engage the spool at an angle prevents the cutting of the spool and in effect the blades merelyrub over the spool in the same way as a very light touching scraper may do. The blades may be claw shaped or saw tooth shaped at their periphery if desired.

The same system of feeding the spools to the cutting blades as in the other figure is used. As indicated more clearly in Figure 14, a driving wheelllll which may be driven by the motor I02 (Figure 13) has a pin I03 which engages in the recesses 97 advancing the spool holding the disks 96, one spool at a time. The spools are fed into a position where they are substantially parallel to the shaft 99 in which position the blades 98 which may rotate continuously will begin to strip the threads from the spool. The next advance of the disks 96 will carry the spool to the discharge-board I04 from which they may be deposited in any kind of a container. The waste threads will be gathered in by the suction blower I05 and blown into a bag of some discharge hopper not shown.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A bobbin stripper of the type described comprising means for feeding the bobbins with residue threads thereon to a stripp'ermechanism, a stripping mechanism positioned adjacent one end of the bobbin comprising a cutting wheel mounted to be rotated close to tangential contact with the bobbin, a second smaller wheel positioned adjacent the cutting'wheel and having circumferential convex hook-like members positioned to make contact with the bobbin and offset forward of the cutting wheel, means for rotating said smaller wheel faster than the cutting wheel, means for automatically bringing the stripping mechanism into contact with the bobbin to be strippedand. keeping contact therewith and means for moving the bobbin longitudinally of itself whereby said bobbin is stripped and ejected from the stripper.

2. In a bobbin stripper, a bobbin stripper mechanism comprising a bracket carried normal to the position of the bobbin, a cutting wheel journalled in said bracket, a motor mounted on said bracket for driving the same, a claw wheel positioned parallel to said cutting wheel, closely spaced therewith, and rotated indirectly from said motor for drawing up the threads from the bobbin to said cutting wheel to be cut thereby and means for bringing said claw wheel in contact with said bobbin. Y

3. In a bobbin stripper, a bobbin stripper mechanism comprising a bracket carried normal to the position of the bobbin, a outing wheel journalled in said bracket, a motor mountedon said bracket for driving the same, a claw wheel positioned parallel to said cutting wheel close thereto and forward thereof, of smaller size than the cutting wheel and projecting below the cutting wheel, means for rotating said claw wheel faster than the cutting wheel for drawing threads from the bobbin into engagement with the cutting wheel and means for bringing said claw wheel in contact with said bobbin.

4. In a bobbin stripper, a bobbin stripper mechanism comprising a bracket carried normal to the position 01 the bobbin, a cutting wheel journalled in said bracket, a motor mounted on said bracket for driving the same, a pair of claw wheels positioned one on either side of the cutting wheel projecting slightly beyond the same and rotated indirectly from said motor for drawing up the threads from the bobbins to said cutting wheel to be cut thereby and means for bringing said claw wheels in contact with said bobbin.

5. In a bobbin stripper, a bobbin stripper mechanism comprising a bracket carried normal to the position of the bobbin, a cutting wheel journalled in said bracket, a motor mounted on said bracket for driving the same, a pair of claw wheels positioned one on either side of the cutting wheel projecting slightly beyond the same and rotated indirectly from said motor for drawing up the threads from the bobbins to said cutting wheel to be out thereby and means for bringing said claw wheels in contact with said bobbin, said claw wheels having concave curvatures at their peripheries substantially to conform to the curvature of the bobbin.

ROBERT L. SJOSTROM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,070,751 Tower e 1 Aug. 19, 1913 1,119,705 Loner Dec. 1, 1914 1,273,075 Linder July 16, 1918 1,289,938 Sharples Dec. 31, 1918 1,309,818 Sharples July 15, 1919 1,447,272 Stove Mar. 6, 1923 2,183,863 Donahoo Dec. 19, 1939 2,262,101 Harris Nov. 11, 1941 2,303,048 Hudson Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 168,089 Switzerland June 1, 1934 

